David

/ David /

David is the chef and owner at a restaurant in Berwick. He overhears me having a conversation about the Scottish referendum with the cashier and comes out from the kitchen. The tea towel slung over his shoulder is put down firmly. “I’d like them to get it,” he says, “Scotland to become independent that is. Once Scotland’s gone, people will realise how ignored we are up here.”

I ask him to explain how he feels ignored. “There’s no investment up here whatsoever and one of the reasons is because there’s no transport. The railways are good, but we don’t have a dual carriageway. The dual carriageway from Edinburgh to London isn’t complete. It comes down just short of Berwick-upon-Tweed and after Berwick on Tweed to Newcastle there is virtually none. It’s just ridiculous.

Nobody gives a damn about it up here. Why should they? We’re one of the poorest towns in the country. We’ve got the walls, the history but we’ve got nothing else. So why invest in it? What’s the point? Why would Amazon put a depot here when they can’t get in or out? They wouldn’t. I think Scotland getting independence will focus attention on the area and hopefully focus attention on doing something here.”